Breaking: Conor Oberst Rape Accuser Recants Accusations

By Tom Hawking

July 14, 2014

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In January this year, Conor Oberst was the subject of a rape accusation that was posted as a comment on xoJane and quickly sent the Internet into a rabid fit of speculation and finger-pointing. Today, his accuser — Joanie Faircloth of North Carolina — issued a public statement recanting the accusations, calling them “100% false” and explaining that she “made [them] up … to get attention while I was going through a difficult period in my life and trying to cope with my son’s illness.” The statement — of which Flavorwire has seen a signed and notarized scan — publicly retracts the allegations and apologizes to the singer. It’s not clear yet whether Oberst will continue to pursue his libel action against Faircloth.

Faircloth’s full statement is as follows:

The statements I made and repeated online and elsewhere over the past six months accusing Conor Oberst of raping me are 100% false. I made up those lies about him to get attention while I was going through a difficult period in my life and trying to cope with my son’s illness. I publicly retract my statements about Conor Oberst, and sincerely apologize to him, his family, and his fans for writing such awful things about him. I realize that my actions were wrong and could undermine the claims of actual sexual assault victims and for that I also apologize. I’m truly sorry for all the pain that I caused.

Oberst hasn’t issued any response yet — we’ll update this page as and when he does. [Update July 16: Oberst has issued a statement in response, which you can read here.]